News Worth Mentioning
JSA of LIS SELECTS THE PIXEL
LARCHMONT, NY (October 19, 2005) â The Junior Sailing Association of Long
Island Sound (JSA of LIS) announced today that it has chosen the 14-foot
Pixel as its new doublehanded training and racing sailboat. The decision was
made after a three-year process that included extensive research, boat
testing and feedback from JSA of LIS members.
The Pixel is a new one-design by Bruce Kirby, who also designed the Laser,
Sonar and Ideal 18. It will be used within the JSA of LIS as a transition boat
between Optimists and Lasers or 420s, primarily by sailors who are 11 to 14
years old.
"We think it's very important to have a boat that bridges this gap," said
Amy Kellogg, JSA of LIS chairperson. "Not every junior sailor fits into an
Opti or Laser, and not everyone wants to sail by themselves." Pixels will be
used for both recreational sailing and racing, with a full schedule of
seminars and regattas planned by the JSA of LIS for next summer.
The Pixel will eventually replace the venerable Blue Jay, which has served
as a training and racing boat for generations of Long Island Sound sailors
since the 1950s. "For many reasons we felt it was time for a change," said
Fran MeVay, former JSA of LIS chairperson. "We were looking for a boat that
is safer, easier to sail and more fun. The Pixel fit our requirements almost
perfectly."
Pixels are 13 feet nine inches long and weigh 185 pounds. They have a
mainsail and jib with a sail area of 94 square feet, plus a symmetrical
spinnaker. The boats are built in China using epoxy resin, and they come
with carbon fiber masts. Pixels have a simple layout with a self-bailing
cockpit, and can be sailed by two or three sailors. "I tried to give the
Pixel an optimal combination of stability and performance," said designer
Bruce Kirby. "So it can handle a wide range of crew weights and skill
levels."
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